Hong Kong
has beaten Macao in the struggle for the Chinese trade, and now
the greater part of the transportation of Chinese goods finds its
depot at the former place. Docks, hospitals, wharves, a Gothic
cathedral, a government house, macadamized streets, give to Hong
Kong the appearance of a town in Kent or Surrey transferred by
some strange magic to the antipodes.

Passepartout wandered, with his hands in his pockets, towards the
Victoria port, gazing as he went at the curious palanquins and
other modes of conveyance, and the groups of Chinese, Japanese
and Europeans who passed to and fro in the streets. Hong Kong
seemed to him not unlike Bombay, Calcutta and Singapore, since,
like them, it betrayed everywhere the evidence of English
supremacy. At the Victoria port he found a confused mass of ships
of all nations: English, French, American and Dutch, men-of-war
and trading vessels, Japanese and Chinese junks, sempas, tankas
and flower-boats, which formed so many floating parterres.
Passepartout noticed in the crowd a number of the natives who
seemed very old and were dressed in yellow. On going into a
barber's to get shaved he learned that these ancient men were all
at least eighty years old, at which age they are permitted to
wear yellow, which is the Imperial color. Passepartout, without
exactly knowing why, thought this very funny.

On reaching the quay where they were to embark on the Carnatic,
he was not astonished to find Fix walking up and down. The
detective seemed very much disturbed and disappointed.

"This is bad," muttered Passepartout, "for the gentlemen of the
Reform Club!" He accosted Fix with a merry smile, as if he had
not perceived that gentleman's chagrin. The detective had,
indeed, good reasons to inveigh against the bad luck which
pursued him. The warrant had not come! It was certainly on the
way, but as certainly it could not now reach Hong Kong for
several days. This being the last English territory on Mr. Fogg's
route, the robber would escape, unless he could manage to detain
him.

"Well, Monsieur Fix," said Passepartout, "have you decided to go
with us as far as America?"

They entered the steamer office and secured cabins for four
persons. The clerk, as he gave them the tickets, informed them
that, the repairs on the Carnatic having been completed, the
steamer would leave that very evening, and not next morning, as
had been announced.

"That will suit my master all the better," said Passepartout. "I
will go and let him know."

Fix now decided to make a bold move. He resolved to tell
Passepartout all. It seemed to be the only possible means of
keeping Phileas Fogg several days longer at Hong Kong. He
accordingly invited his companion into a tavern which caught his
eye on the quay. On entering, they found themselves in a large
room handsomely decorated, at the end of which was a large
campbed furnished with cushions. Several persons lay upon this
bed in a deep sleep. At the small tables which were arranged
about the room some thirty customers were drinking English beer,
porter, gin and brandy; smoking, the while, long red clay pipes
stuffed with little balls of opium mingled with essence of rose.
From time to time one of the smokers, over-come with the
narcotic, would slip under the table, whereupon the waiters,
taking him by the head and feet, carried and laid him upon the
bed. The bed already supported twenty of these stupefied sots.

Fix and Passepartout saw that they were in a smoking house
haunted by those wretched, cadaverous, idiotic creatures to whom
the English merchants sell every year the miserable drug called
opium, to the amount of one million four hundred thousand pounds
- thousands devoted to one of the most despicable vices which
afflict humanity! The Chinese government has in vain attempted to
deal with the evil by stringent laws.